DOJ ‘disputes’ Darrell Issa’s contempt order

The Justice Department fired back at Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) hours after the House Oversight Committee chairman circulated a draft contempt order against Attorney General Eric Holder, saying it “strongly disputes” the congressman’s contention that the department has failed to fully cooperate in the Fast and Furious investigation.

In a letter to Issa on Thursday afternoon, Deputy Attorney General James Cole argued that the Justice Department has consistently cooperated with the probe into the botched gun-walking operation, citing “more than 7,600 pages of material” submitted to the committee and Holder’s seven testimonies in the last year and a half.

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“This record reflects the department’s consistent efforts to cooperate with the committee’s investigation,” Cole asserted.

Earlier on Thursday, Issa circulated to committee members a lengthy draft contempt order against Holder which accused the attorney general of a “refusal to cooperate” in the investigation. The draft was accompanied by a critical briefing paper about the controversial Fast and Furious operation, which put guns into the hands of arms traffickers in the hopes of nabbing members of Mexico’s drug cartels.

“For over a year, the Department has issued false denials, given answers intended to misdirect investigators, sought to intimidate witnesses, unlawfully withheld subpoenaed documents, and waited to be confronted with indisputable evidence before acknowledging uncomfortable facts,” the paper read.

In his response Thursday, Cole maintained that the Justice Department’s withholding of certain documents was “not from a lack of cooperation.” Instead, he argued that their disclosure could “jeopardize” the ongoing investigation, keeping it “free from political pressure or even the appearance of political pressure.”

Cole noted that the previous administration had made a similar point — that the “oversight process” would be hindered if certain executive documents were handed over to congressional committees.

In 11 Interviews Since Election Day, No Network Or Cable Anchor Has Asked Issa About The Allegations Against Him. Media Matters reviewed the Nexis database for cable and network interviews of Issa from November 3, 2010 through January 10, 2011. In 11 interviews on ABC, CBS, MSNBC, Fox Broadcasting Co., Fox News, and CNN, no host or anchor asked Issa about the criminal allegations that have been made against him.

If Holder was trying to be honest and comply with the subpoenas he wouldn't have sent pages so heavily redacted that they are solid black. He also would have sent emails from and to his email address (none have been turned over), he wouldn't have retaliated against the whistle blower, he wouldn't have sent one witness to Afghanistan, he wouldn't have underlings pleading the fifth, and he wouldn't have lied before Congress.

And finally if he were truly honest about this, and had nothing to hide he would have figured out in his year long "investigation" who ultimately authorized this political operation.

The Real Issa: Suspected Arson 1982: Issa Suspected, But Never Charged, In Arson Incident At Manufacturing Plant. According to the Los Angeles Times: "A suspected arson fire ripped through [Issa's Ohio] manufacturing plant in 1982. No one was ever charged in the fire, but authorities were troubled by a dramatic escalation in the facility's fire insurance just weeks earlier. Even before the blaze was put out, investigators began peppering Issa and his partner with 'crazy questions' regarding their whereabouts before the fire, Issa recalled." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added] Prior To Fire, Issa "Boosted" Fire Insurance And Removed A Computer From The Premises. According to the Los Angeles Times: "Weeks before the fire, Issa and [business partner Miles] Hunsinger boosted their fire insurance from $ 100,000 to $ 462,000 on property stored for other companies...At the same time, a separate company that contracted with Quantum to outfit bug zappers increased its insurance to $ 400,000, and, according to an insurance report, one investigator was 'concerned about the coincidence.' Fire investigators also noted that a computer was taken off the site eight days before the fire, 'allegedly to be reprogrammed' by Issa's lawyer, and that business blueprints were put away in a safe -- which was 'not previously done before.'" [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis] "Suspicious Burn Patterns" And "Out Of Normal Practice" Behavior Alerted Investigators. The Washington Post reported: "Investigators reported 'suspicious burn patterns' and said the fire may have been set. A company bookkeeper, Karen Brasdovich, also told them that computers and records had been removed from the site days before the fire for no clear reason. 'It was totally out of normal practice,' she said in a telephone interview last week." [Washington Post via FTLComm.com, 7/8/03] AC Custom Fire: Flammable Liquid Had "Been Poured On The Only Area Not Covered By Fire Sprinklers." The Los Angeles Times reported that "seven months after Issa took control," a fire broke out at the "Quantum manufacturing plant." "Case files from Maple Heights, the Ohio fire marshal and insurers pointed repeatedly to the likelihood of arson in the blaze, which officials estimated caused $ 800,000 in damage. Although an accident could not be ruled out, the uneven and unnatural burn patterns made the blaze 'suspicious in nature,' the state concluded two months later. Flammable liquid appeared to have been poured on the only area not covered by fire sprinklers, investigators found." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]

The Real Issa: Intimidation With A Weapon Former AC Custom Executive Claimed Issa Intimidated Him With A Gun. According to the Los Angeles Times: "One of Issa's first tasks as the new boss [of AC Custom] was to remove an executive named Jack Frantz. According to Frantz, Issa came into his office, placed a small box on the desk and opened it. Inside, he said, was a gun." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis] Issa Allegedly Used Intimidation To Fire Executive Frantz. According to the Los Angeles Times, Frantz claimed, "'He just showed [the gun] to me and said 'You know what this is?' Issa invited Frantz to hold the gun at one point and told him he had learned about guns and explosives during his military days, Frantz said. Because he was about to be fired, Frantz said he saw it as 'pure intimidation.'" [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis] Former AC Custom Bookkeeper: "It Was Pretty Terrifying." According to the Los Angeles Times: "The bookkeeper, [Karen] Brasdovich, also recalled Issa having a gun at the company that day. 'It was pretty terrifying,' she said." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis] Issa On The Incident: "Shots Were Never Fired." The Los Angeles Times reported: "Issa said, 'Shots were never fired. If I asked Jack to leave, then I think I had every right to ask Jack to leave...I don't recall having a gun. I really don't. I don't think I ever pulled a gun on anyone in my life.'" [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]

The Real Issa: Auto Theft & Weapons Charges Issa "Twice Arrested In 1972 On Weapons Charges." According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Issa was twice arrested in 1972 on weapons charges -- once in Ohio, once in Michigan." [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03] Issa Was Convicted Of "Possession Of An Unregistered Handgun," Paid Fine, And Served Probation. According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "[W]hen Issa was attending college in Michigan, was fined $100 and put on three months' probation after being arrested for possession of an unregistered handgun, Michigan court records show." [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03] 1972: Issa Was Arrested For Auto Theft. According to the New York Times: "In 1972, [Darrell Issa] and his brother William were arrested in the theft of a Maserati from a Cleveland car dealership." [New York Times, 7/23/03] 1972: Issa Also Charged With "Carrying A Concealed Weapon." According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Court records...show that in March 1972, one month after getting out of the Army, Issa was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and auto theft. The court file doesn't indicate the type of weapon involved." [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03] Auto Theft, Concealed Weapons Charges Were Ultimately Dropped. According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "In May 1972, a grand jury indicted Issa on a larceny charge in connection with the car theft but dropped the weapons charge. Two weeks later, a prosecutor dropped the car theft charge as well." [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03] Charges Were Dropped Despite Witness Reports. According to the Los Angeles Times, "a witness reported seeing [Darrell and William Issa] pushing the sports car down the street just before midnight, records and interviews show. But the charges were dismissed -- months before the older brother, [William], was convicted of stealing another car amid a string of offenses." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]

Representing Republican reform: an indicted felon In May of 1998, Lance Williams, of the San Francisco Examiner, reported that [Republican representative Darrell] Issa had not always received the “highest possible” ratings in the Army. In fact, at one point he “received unsatisfactory conduct and efficiency ratings and was transferred to a supply depot.” Williams also discovered that Issa didn’t provide security for Nixon at the 1971 World Series, because Nixon didn’t attend any of the games. A member of Issa’s Army unit, Jay Bergey, told Williams that his most vivid recollection of the young Issa was that in December, 1971, Issa stole his car, a yellow Dodge Charger. “I confronted Issa,” Bergey said in 1998. “I got in his face and threatened to kill him, and magically my car reappeared the next day, abandoned on the turnpike.” Car theft seems to have been one of Darrell Issa's seriously favorite activities. Once he stole a red Maserati right out of a showroom. Then there was a red Mercedes. He smashed up a truck and injured a woman in another car. He blamed a lot of this on his brother... From cars to alleged involvement arson from which Issa profited, having upped his insurance coverage shortly before a building burned down one night. Ryan Lizza has all the details of Issa's past history in his wonderfully dreadful profile of the Republican committee chair in the latest New Yorker. It seems Issa has begun to cool his talk about investigating the Obama administration. Lizza's article may add to recent concerns.

So, USAer, you're bringing up allegations from 1971, 1972, and 1982 against Issa - which clearly had no substance behind them, because its been over THIRTY YEARS since they happened - as though its somehow relevant to Holder's actions? Obama admitted doing drugs in college - does that have ANYTHING to do with his current performance? Hell no.

humm, USAer must be part of the Obama campaign, there is too much information for just an ordinary person to know. USAer must have availability to information obtained by special back ground search on Rep Issa. Only the democrats would be looking for information like that to help Obama and Holder.

Too bad USAer couldn't put his finely crafted detective and reporting skills to good use vetting the POS sitting in the WH as POTUS. Could be amazing. Instead he's just following the Democratic talking point BS to distract.

If Holder was trying to be honest and comply with the subpoenas he wouldn't have sent pages so heavily redacted that they are solid black. He also would have sent emails from and to his email address (none have been turned over), he wouldn't have retaliated against the whistle blower, he wouldn't have sent one witness to Afghanistan, he wouldn't have underlings pleading the fifth, and he wouldn't have lied before Congress.

And finally if he were truly honest about this, and had nothing to hide he would have figured out in his year long "investigation" who ultimately authorized this political operation.

i suspect there are no emails from anyone involved to Holder but directed to his deputy ... o and those have been turned over

read the law on whistleblowers .... i know you didn;t since many federal employees are not covered ... but in this case it was not retaliation for whistleblowing but failure to comply with the rules of employment

he did not send anyone to Afghanistan ... O'Reily was employed in the WH

all the people involved in the conspiracy have of their own accord pleaded the 5th at no ones request but their own attorneys

Holder did not lie before Congress

geez ... apparently conservatives can try, convict, and execute people without an investigation